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HD 364

An Act mandating access to cancer screenings for firefighters through health care benefits plans or programs provided by the public employer

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Jim Arciero and 42 co-sponsors

Public-employer health plans must cover regular, no-cost cancer screenings for full-time firefighters (every 3 years after 3 years’ service), with physician-conducted exams.

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Bill Summary · HD 364

Summary of HD 364: An Act mandating access to cancer screenings for firefighters through health care benefits plans or programs provided by the public employer

Purpose

To ensure full-time firefighters have access to regular, no-cost cancer screening examinations conducted by a physician, funded through the firefighter’s public employer’s health care benefits plan or program. The bill seeks to promote early cancer detection among firefighters, who face elevated exposure to carcinogenic risk factors.

Key Provisions

  • Applies to: Full-time paid firefighters employed by the State, a city, town, fire or water district, and designated fire districts (including Massachusetts Military Reservation fire department, 104th Fighter Wing fire department, Devens fire department). For the purposes of this section, entities such as the Massachusetts Port Authority, Barnes Air National Guard Base, and related zones are treated as fire districts.
  • Screening schedule: A cancer screening examination must be provided not less than three years after the firefighter’s start of employment and every three years thereafter during employment.
  • Covered screening scope: At minimum, screening for colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular, and prostate cancers, as applicable.
  • Cost and cost-sharing: All costs for these screenings are to be borne by the firefighter’s health care benefits plan or program provided by the public employer. No co-payments, deductibles, coinsurance, or other out-of-pocket expenses may be charged for these examinations.
  • Administration: Examinations must be conducted by a physician.

Affected Parties

  • Individuals: Full-time firefighters working for state, municipal, or specified fire districts.
  • Employers: Public employers providing firefighter health benefits plans or programs (state, cities, towns, fire/water districts, and designated districts, including certain federal and regional facilities listed in the bill).
  • Health plans: Employer-provided health care plans or programs must cover the specified screenings without cost-sharing.

Implementation and Timeline

  • Effective upon enactment.
  • Screening cadence begins after three years of employment and continues every three years during active service.
  • The bill enumerates specific facilities and districts classified as fire districts for the purposes of the act.

Context and Status

  • This is a proposed measure filed in the Massachusetts General Court (House Docket No. 364) in early 2025, with a parallel history of similar proposals in prior sessions (e.g., House No. 1080 from 2023-2024). The user notes a November 29, 2025 introduction date, but the official text indicates a filing date of January 8, 2025 for this version.
  • No explicit funding mechanism is detailed beyond requiring employer health plans to cover the screenings; employers may experience higher plan costs due to added coverage.

Why It Matters

  • Aims to improve early cancer detection among firefighters, potentially reducing morbidity and long-term treatment costs.
  • Ensures uniform access to preventive care without financial barriers within public-employer health plans.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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